POPped Pages

Monday, September 20, 2010

EXCLUSIVE: Kari Ann Peniche and Tony Dimitri speak out

Kari Ann Peniche and Tony Dimitri in a scene from the pilot 'AKA Peniche'

In tough times some people decide to run and hide, others wonder if it will get any worse. Then there are those that decide it will not hold them back and strive to make life even better. I found this to be the case this past Thursday night when I had the chance to speak with Kari Ann Peniche (Miss United States Teen, Playboy, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew)and her brother Tony Dimitri (fashion designer). Together they have started several business ventures and many more are on the horizon. From fashion to television, they are a team that many should be keeping an eye on.

Fashion

This is an area that Tony and Kari have done very well in. Their clothing lines are Killing Beverly and Strung Out Girl. Both are very distinct and different from one another. The names themselves tell a story. Killing Beverly was thought of by Tony. It was him speaking against what he thought were the bad influences around the entertainment industry in Hollywood. The Killing Beverly line is available at KillingBeverly.com

Strung Out Girl swimwear is a line of bikinis that Kari came up with. In a way of poking fun at herself Kari told me that she gave her swimwear that name because she was the strung out girl. This line along with Killing Beverly are available by going to her website, ClubKariAnn.com.

Television

Currently they are working on a couple of different types of TV shows. One being a reality show titled ‘AKA Peniche’ about the two of them working on their clothing lines. This will cover the dynamic of them working together and their relationship as brother and sister. From here they are working on something very different. They have a vampire series (currently titled ‘Killing Beverly’) in development that takes place in the fashion industry.

These shows are currently being developed and produced by Tony in his home state of Oregon. In discussing these shows I learned that their reality series has some good people behind it and have a history of hit cable shows. While many of us may think that you have to be in Hollywood to get in the entertainment industry, Tony is managing to get their projects off the ground by being away from it. And this looks to be a great thing for he and Kari Ann.

If there is anything I learned while speaking with them that is that they are a brother and sister who really care about each other. From joking and teasing about who really wanted to be Miss United States Teen, to talking about going to Disneyland, Kari Ann is very at ease when Tony is around. She admits that there are people who she can’t work with and wouldn’t want to work with on a daily basis, but with Tony it’s perfectly fine. And for Tony, he’s very proud of the fact that she considers her young brother her older brother. Through the fame and spotlight, it’s their family bond that seems to be what is most important and getting them through everything. But we still have to wait to see her as a Vampire.

You can hear the full interview on the latest POPcast podcast on iTunes or stream on the POPcast page.